A conservation group has acquired 142 acres of old-growth forest near the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, ending fears the land could be logged.The Nisqually Land Trust says it purchased the historic Allen Estate, in Ashford, Wash., using a $780,000 federal land grant it obtained through the Washington Department of Natural Resources. DNR will hold a conservation easement on the property, preventing future development.

In 2005, the estate's previous owners said they planned to log the property, which includes towering Douglas firs that line the highway leading into the national park's main entrance. Many locals thought logging the land could hurt the tourism industry, as well as important habitat for endangered species, such as the Northern spotted owl. The estate was the home of Grenville Allen, the national park's first superintendent.
-- The Associated Press